Wax Paper - Frogtown - Los Angeles

I get a bit cynical about sandwiches these days. They're just a bunch of stuff, stuffed between two slices of bread, and they seem to be a lost art. Assemblers tend to do too little or too much so they feel like an afterthought or something that tries to be special when it isn't. 

Not here. Only the best sandwiches come out of Wax Paper's pickup window. Some of LA's best bread blankets fresh white turkey in this Terry Gross. The focaccia is the best I've had, and it's the highlight of the sandwich, but it enhances the flavor of the ingredients, including shredded cheese and a crisp, refreshing slaw. 

The Steve Julian is in the style of a banh mi without trying too hard to be. The roast pork inside is shredded and mixed with miso aioli so it finishes like a like tuna salad but more savory than I could ever imagine. That full flavor blooms under a chewy baguette, contrasted by light pickles and veg. 

They make magic here, but don't expect over-the-top, hit-you-hard concoctions using exotic ingredients only found in three places on earth. The secret is in the balance, in their seamless, harmonious, not-too-many-ingredients but-each-one-essential approach. They know how to make a good sandwich here, and this spot is perfect for grabbing a filling lunch that won't make you fall asleep at your desk all afternoon. 

Fatty Mart - Los Angeles

I love Little Fatty, but I just can't get out to LA on a random night anymore. but now there's Fatty Mart, a cute little curated store full of all the things that make being Asian a joy. 

They don’t have decaf, but they have all your standard coffees. Props on the biodegradable cups. Get one or don't - the Taiwanese Breakfast Roll is the reason you're here. Crispy scallion pancake encases eggs, cheap cheese, and a fabulous Chinese sausage with spicy mayo. The pickled mustard greens make it classically Chinese and evokes cold winter mornings when you wake up to porridge and pickles. 

The Breakfast Burrito is fun as well with the addition of tater tots for crunch. Their beef birria is solid, especially with pepper, onion, and salsa, but it's just not as special as the other.

If I am to be honest, I don’t need to leave the South Bay to get most of the groceries, but they do offer some unusual flavors in candy and chips. They even carry stuff from La Espanola Meats (South Bay pride!). 

It's too early for the lunch options, but you can grab some of their better offerings from the fridge for later.

Be still my heart, they sell their Hainan Chicken here. So far it's the only Hainan chicken I'd ever go out of my way to order. The skin is fatty and yellow, and the meat is full of real flavor, unlike literally every other blanched-bland iteration of this inexplicably popular white stuff. The rice is the same yellow color, packed with fatty savor.

Dan Dan Noodles also reheat surprisingly well, and these squiggly noodles are the best. Savory with a kick of Sichuan spice, this dish is awesome in the afternoon. 

Great little store, much fun to be had whether you're popping by for a pickup or staying for a quick and casual meal. Until I can get to the restaurant, this little mart will do.

Tastea - Torrance

Far as boba goes, theirs are not the best. Not bad but more whimsical than SGV-serious. The classic milk tea is alright, and smoothies like the Strawberry Sensation are good when you don't want caffeination. You can also get jugs for a group, and fruity teas like The Unknown are bound to please a crowd. Just remember to ask for a lower level of sweetness - they have a heavy hand with the sugar. 

If you like toppings, they do have a ton. All sorts of fruit bits, plus the standard jellies and pearls. My favorite is crystal boba because it's the best of both worlds. If you're like me and love adding texture to your drinks, this is where you let your imagination run wild. 

They also make fried finger foods. Calamari is okay, and the Fries come with a surprisingly addictive seasoning. Not something you'd think to order but those fries do go quite well with boba. 

My favorite thing here is the drive-thru, which makes it a little too easy to grab a cold drink whenever you want. You do have a wait in a line of cars no matter when you get there, but you get to wait while sitting in a car. 

Destroyer UPDATE - Culver City

Still a mostly industrial area, Destroyer keeps its office hours of 8-4. Inconvenient for many, but it couldn't be better for us on one of our many weekdays off. 

There's no line, but even on a Monday, more than half the tables are full. The pastry case is more than half empty, and I snagged the last Passionfruit Tart to go. It has a light cream and some of that fabulous sweet n' sour, but I do wish there was a stronger flavor. The Sweet Corn Cookie is a subtler show-stealer, much like a sugar cookie with the aftertaste of sweetest corn. There's a Pecan Molasses Cookie as well for a gooey something-sweet.

But the pastries are for later - the real menu is so much more.  

Start lighter with a bowl of Forbidden Orchard Berries. Icy blueberries in a creamy coconut yogurt. I usually hate coconut but this has a perfect, thick texture, and tapioca pearls to bring out the flavor and add a bit of gentle grit. Black currants and candied beets add a rich sweetness.

There's Loaded Avocado Confit, a glorified melange of why millenials have no money. The charred avocado is creamy, the cherry tomatoes are blistery and cozy. Smoked prosciutto brings salt to the creamy burrata, and a fried egg with its gooey, runny yolk ties it all together. Smear all over a slice of crusty country bread for the best combination of flavors. 

That giant half-loaf slab is the beautifully, evenly egged Persimmon French Toast. Beautiful persimmons line a bowl of apricot-passion fruit jam, centered around a creme fraiche you'll never get enough of. Drizzle light syrup over the spongy bread and take big bites. 

The Smoked Fish is nordic in a nutshell. Flaky slices of gorgeous white fish under a silky, savory yogurt covered in a crunchy layer of onion granola. A seedy icelandic rye adds earthiness to the smoky-sea fish.

It's all good and mostly great, but this Sweet Corn Porridge is the real standout. Sweet corn kernels are interspersed with little pearls of couscous, each coated with viscous porridge, packed with so much flavor. Mix in the poached egg to add the liquid yolk, and crunch on bits of chicken skin and burnt onion. Dig deep for leaves of blanched lettuce which adds another layer of depth. 

If you go to Vespertine expecting to see some high-end translation of Destroyer's magic fare, you will be sorely disappointed. Destroyer is where the magic is made, and it is where the magic stays. Both breakfast and lunch are affordable here, and I'm surprised they haven't earned any Michelin stars.

Submarine Crab - Hawthorne

I’ll admit I was flabbergasted when I saw the "coming soon" sign across a Submarine Crab. Another nondescript, seedy-looking complex now slinging sacks of seafood boil. 

Turns out the owners are locals, and the opening of this Garden Grove giant may be the best thing that’s happened to me all year. This is the south bay’s best seafood boil to date, and their Torpedo sauce rocks. It hits but not too hard if it's mild, and it covers every inch of every shellfish. The crawfish are sizeable, with firm and fresh tails that pluck right out. Shrimp in their shells are succulent, and juicy little clams and tender mussels soak through with sauce. The Mini Sampler is the best deal for two, and you even get some corn, potatoes, and sausage. 

Plenty of other items on the menu to supplement your seafood if you wish. Unnecessary but available. Popcorn Chicken is deliciously, freshly fried, 

and Garlic Noodles are pretty great, just chewy and buttery with a garlic bite. Only order if you like garlic. 

Eat there if you'd like, but their takeout option is pretty great for a night in front of the TV or at a rowdy family dinner. They include paper for easy cleanup and gloves in every bag so you can enjoy it anywhere you like, emphasis on the JOY. 

Lobster Guys Rolls & Fries - Redondo Beach

Finally, you can get a good lobster roll without having to chase a truck! Lobster Guys comes to Redondo Beach with their little shop of shellfish and fries. 

Connecticut Style is the best style, a brioche bun stuffed full of warm, buttery lobster butter. They keep it simple, as it should be, with just mayo, green onion, and a sprinkle of old bay. 

Maine Style is more like a salad. The lobster is chilled, and the lemon herb aioli comes on strong. There's more of it than I'd like, and I do think the brioche bun in both is also a bit overpowering to the more delicate lobster flavors as well. That said, it's quality lobster, no complaints about that. 

I know it's a lobster joint, but they do Wings quite well. Fried crispy on the outside, evenly coated with a sticky sweet chili sauce, these will complete any pint of beer. 

The Fries are just fries, but they're the kind with the super crispy shell, and whatever, they're good. 

Not cheap but prices are fair considering it's lobster in this location. I'd come back in a heartbeat for a Connecticut roll next time I want a treat. 

Old Ferry Donut - Torrance

The decor is very...orange, I think it's an attempt at vintage-cute. Bright colors, all your basic coffees and a nice selection of tea, a glass case displaying some very pretty donuts. 

They're not so photogenic in the box but I promise they look better live. 

Butter Pistachio is the office favorite, a cake donut filled with light pistachio cream, a crusty, sweet glaze on top. Tiramisu has all the flavors with a nice filling of mascarpone cream. The Lemon Poppy Seed Ring has a clear lemon zest in both the batter and the icing, and the Raspberry Ball has a filling of sweet jam. White Chocolate Sesame Cake has a great sesame flavor, and the Earl Grey Cake icing is sweet but a bit more robust. They're all sweet donuts, but I commend them for their more judicious use of sugar. It's there but it's not overpowering. 

The flavors are creative, and the donuts are very elaborate which is probably why they're not made to order. That said, I do wish they were more fresh - most of the ones we got around lunchtime were already tasting like they had sat out for at least a day. Plenty of potential here if they up the freshness factor. 

Peasants Feast UPDATE - Solvang, CA

What's better than lunch at Peasants Feast? DINNER at Peasants Feast. What better than dinner? TWO dinners. 

There's a Snap Pea salad with a kick of horseradish that bites back, and I loved the lemon peel that added some extra zest. 

I've never been truly impressed by a caesar salad, but their Copenhagen Caesar is right up there with Ryla. The dressing was so creamy on lettuce so fresh and anchovies so juicy. 

Rockfish Tacos are a lighter choice. Chunks of fresh fish pair well with salsa and a shredded slaw. I love that the tortillas are hand pressed, but they are a bit thicker than I'd like. 

This Sea Urchin Carbonara is a delectable creamy, bacon-bliss. The sea urchin is just a topping, about which I have no complaints. 

A slab of Pork Chop Schnitzel drapes over a bed of beans, and the thin but generous meat makes a mighty meal.  

How can a simple side of Mac & Cheese be this good? Little orecchiette ears sport thick coats of a rich, 3-cheese sauce, and herbed breadcrumbs add just the right crunch. 

Even the kid's menu fried chicken was great for all ages. The batter is a bit bland but probably healthier so no complaints. 

Best restaurant in Solvang, and I know this without even having to try the others. Would literally come back to Solvang just to eat here again. 

Red Hut Cafe - South Lake Tahoe, CA

We're hungry after seeing snow, and this little diner looked like fun. 

Our takeout order includes a Bacon Waffle, which is literally a waffle with bacon inside. I did not know this existed, but I am glad it does. 

Chicken Fried Steak sings the song of the south, but a goopy white gravy and a generous slab of tender steak. 

We were craving something green so took a gamble on the Caesar Salad. Just lettuce with chicken and croutons. Dressing is standard. Get it if you want, but it will not amuse or impress.  

Not too many non-touristy food options around one of America's most popular lakes, but I'm sure you could do worse than this cute little cafe.  

Riva Grill - South Lake Tahoe, CA

This one is fun. Lots of all-American classics meant to be eaten next to breathtaking views of the Sierra Nevadas' largest freshwater lake. Sister to the northern Gar Woods Grill, the menu is the same, lots of heavy comfort food. 

Hot Wings really hit the spot after a long day at the spa, and these are fried delightfully crispy. 

Dungeness Crab Cakes have more celery than I like with plenty of crab in between. 

Shrimp & Lobster Bisque is a bowl of seafood cream. Best for sharing - it's a lot for one person to drink. 

The Dungeness Crab Sandwich is full of cold crab drenched in mayo, covered with cheddar cheese. No need for the cheese, and those chunks of crab would stand out more with less. 

It's a touristy restaurant for sure, but it's far from a tourist trap. The decor is cute and the experience is fun, and it's absolutely reasonable for a meal at a destination that caters to tourists.

Creative Crepes & More - Lake Tahoe, CA

I try not to get too political, but there's been a lot of buzz lately about how the younger generations "don't want to work." If you're trying to understand why, just come here on a weekday and it will all be crystal clear. 

One young lady commands the counter, alone against the long line of patient customers. She takes the payments and makes each crepe or waffle to order, and it's not a quick process by any means. The credit card swipe stops working properly so she's forced to enter every card by hand or take the time to count out change. I asked her where her coworkers and managers were and she quietly tells me that the manager lives 30 minutes away and therefore "has difficulty commuting" so they just told her to unplug the credit card machine and plug it back in. (This has not worked after 4 attempts and they are aware of that). The owner lives "all the way in Reno", one hour away, and therefore can't show up (???). There hasn't been serious snow at all, and though I don't know the details, I'm not sure how any business can justify this utter refusal to provide any aid to their hard-working employees. 

So they make crepes. The wait was so long that I couldn't take photos because my kid was falling apart. I kept it simple with the BSC, which could have used a bit more of everything. Not bad though, especially considering everything was being made under duress. 

The Basic liege waffle is delicious with its sugar-batter, but be prepared - it's a lot smaller than you'd expect for a waffle. 

The food is fine and the service is as well, considering the circumstances but I will never come back here because I can't feel good supporting this business. That poor young lady was clearly not supported at all, and it's just not okay that they treat their employees this way. 

Baroo - Los Angeles

It's a chilly late evening in the Arts District, with waning lights from surrounding restaurants and galleries as they tuck in for the night. Among them Baroo remains abuzz with mood lighting and a hushed but lively atmosphere. It's 8:45 PM on a Tuesday but there isn't an empty seat in the house. 

A single tasting menu keeps it simple, and all you have to decide is whether you want a drink pairing and/or the supplemental beef. It's the kind of menu where I have to google 75% of the ingredients, and every item is enchanting. 

The nonalcoholic pairing is hand-crafted kombucha, and I think it's even better than booze because of its uniqueness. We start with a glass of "rose" (like the wine), a kombucha that smells like the real thing but finishes sweeter with a little mulberry tang. 

It pairs with the starter snacks, a small bowl of squash soup, sweetness supplemented with a darker, foamy tea. It's topped with a seedy, puffy crisp to add some texture and earth. 

The other bit is a bread base, like mochi with crispy edges. The chewy texture is perfection paired with a nutty hint of gouda and uplifting berry sour. 

A single seared Scallop is spectacular in a leafy green liquid with seaweed and rice puffs. Use your spoon to scoop up every drop - it finishes with a surprising hint of horseradish, and my delight turns to obsession. 

A sweeter quince kombucha accompanies the Ssam, a beautiful spread of leaves encasing a wedge of sole. The fish is buttery flakes, and the skin is a seaweed crisp. The leaves are aromatic, much like shiso, with a slightly citrus lift. 

The next kombucha is barley-based, savory with shiso and sweet potato notes. 

It accompanies a melt-in-your-mouth black Cod, with a lightly pickled radish and crispy fried green papaya. The sauce is sweet and savory, with buttermilk to make it rich.

A beet kombucha resembles red wine, made to complement the meats. 

The Pork Collar is impossibly tender, in a savory red jjigae sauce. The show-stealer is the creamy dollop of white kimchi that adds even more flavor than the sauce.

A small supplement gets you Beef Short Rib, the tenderest you'll ever eat. Same sides, but you get a burdock jus that tastes a bit like a sweet soy. A delicious dish but not much of a standout compared to the creativity of everything else on this menu. 

I thought I couldn't be more blown away, but I was wrong. The final savory course is absolutely the best rice bowl in the world and possibly the best dish I've ever eaten. Every grain of rice is dotted with bits of aromatic mountain greens. A pickled paste of perilla leaves with lotus and sunchoke are fragrant from fermentation and a dollop of XO sauce brings on a fishy umani that makes every other flavor explode. It's all topped with fine-shredded crisps of the most amazing seaweed. 

A sweet kombucha with passion fruit, mugwort, and pine nut accompanies the Melon panna cotta. The creamy classic occupies one side, sharing with a smooth ice cream on the other. The topping is a bitter sorrel bingsu that almost mimics matcha. 

I looked forward to trying the new Baroo, but I did have my doubts. I wasn't sure how those mom-and-pop rice bowls would translate into fine dining, and I never could have guessed they'd do it all so well. The food is fancier, but it still conveys the warmth and comfort of their hole-in-the-wall, open-counter, grab-your-drinks-from-the-fridge. Their flavors are complex and multidimensional but the concepts are clean and pure with an unmistakable air of sophistication that doesn't diminish their authenticity. Forget all the Michelins, Baroo just might be my new favorite restaurant in LA. 

Ammatoli - Long Beach

I have a theory that when it comes to dining, Long Beach has been long overlooked. 

After ripping into the house-made Pita at Ammatoli, I'm quite sure of it. These big puffy pouches of warm fragrant air are the best carbs in town.

Order some Mezza if you'd like - the Hummus is good - nice texture, the Batata Harra is great - potatoes in a killer chili sauce, and fried Kibbeh is cool - dense, meaty little bites. All lovely, but honestly unnecessary. The pita is good enough to eat alone. 

It's always Freekah Friday - this dish is an everyday must. The chicken is the best rotisserie I've ever tasted, and that green wheat underneath is a lightly-crisped heaven of texture. Add the nuttiness of almonds, the sweet-tart pomegranate seeds, and a cool cucumber and yogurt salad, and it's the most balanced plate you'll ever eat. 

Meat Manoushe is a fun one as well, a fabulous flatbread topped with ground beef and lamb. 

For dessert there's a Knafeh Bil Ishta, a barely sweet clotted cream with floral notes from the organ blossom syrup. It's rich and really not very sweet. Not my personal favorite, but still very good. 

Pistachio Baklava is served with a scoop of ice cream, a beautiful combination. Sweet simplicity, just lose yourself in the layers of pastry, pistachio, and sticky-sweet honey. 

Wow, what a meal. The dishes are simple yet complex, the flavors sophisticated yet approachable. Even the pickiest eaters can enjoy pita bread and chicken, and the price is more than reasonable for this high caliber of cooking. A unique perfection is found here, and it's a lunch spot I highly recommend.